


Knockturn

by collectingstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), sirius is injured
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 06:42:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18935518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collectingstories/pseuds/collectingstories
Summary: Sirius takes the readers usual post watching over knockturn alley and things don't go as planned.





	Knockturn

“Come back to bed.” Sirius called, voice conveying how exhausted he was. You turned back to look at Sirius, laying against a small pile of pillows to prop himself up. The past twelve hours had been hectic and you still weren’t entirely certain that you knew exactly what had happened. Everything felt like a blur to you. 

Just as the sun was setting over London and the gaslights on the street began to light you had taken up the post given to you by the head of the Order. You were to stand on the street opposite from Gimmuald Place, right at the corner near the collection of trees and greenery that made a small public garden and watch for sign of movement from a house that you could not even see. It wasn’t a post you were particularly thrilled with, and after weeks of monitoring the part of Diagon Alley that gave way to Knockturn, all you wanted to do was prove yourself with a mission a bit more serious. But this was what you were stuck with and you knew better than most that there was no use arguing. James Potter was given your old post. He and Sirius both were stationed strategically to monitor a meeting of Voldemort’s followers that was to take place in one of the backrooms of the shops in the Alley. That was as specific as anyone could tell you. 

“There must be more to it than that.” You didn’t argue your posting but you did argue the reasoning behind Sirius’. 

The relationship was somewhat new. For all his reputations in Hogwarts the two of you had never really interacted. But last year when you graduated you had sought out the Order on the word of a friend who was looking for a way to combat what was happening in the Wizarding community and do something positive. It was at those first few meetings that you had the opportunity to truly meet Sirius for the first time. The Sirius that wasn’t simply a reckless flirt obsessed with pranks and seemingly unbothered by school. This Sirius was more, well, serious. There was still that immaturity and recklessness but it seemed to balance out a much more somber version of the young man. A version well aware of the threats that affected the daily lives of witches and wizards in Britain. He wasn’t different, you realized, only lacking the front that he so cunningly put up throughout his seven years of school. 

“It’s all I can tell you.” Sirius had replied, fiddling in the kitchen with the tea. He seemed stuck on whether or not he preferred milk and sugar or just milk. 

“I’ve done the post a million times. Now I’m off it and you can’t even tell me why?”

“James and I are taking it, that’s the why.” He took the lid off the sugar jar for the umpteenth time and finally spooned a serving into his cup, stirring it around absently as he stared at the tiles on the kitchen wall. 

“That’s not a good enough why.”

“Look.” Sirius placed the spoon on the counter rather suddenly, turning to face you for the first time since you had begun to badger him, “James and I are taking the post. That’s it, end of discussion.” 

“Fine.” You snapped, turning and heading out of the kitchen abruptly. 

It was easier to be inconspicuous in Diagon Alley. There was window shopping, a pub to hang around in, and plenty of people on the street to chat with. Grimmuald place was just a hidden house on a regular London street and there was nothing to make you seem at all normal for standing there, just out of the reach of the streetlamp. You knew you should have at least attempted to move around the street some, or pop into the gardens but you didn’t. A few cars whirred passed, unbothered by your presence on the corner of the sidewalk. Muggles hadn’t an inkling of what was happening within the wizarding world though you had to wonder, if things got bad enough, would they? How drastically could things truly change? Dumbledore was ambiguous about the future and most other things if you were being honest. Kind and reassuring and full of wit but secretive and vague as well. Not the best leader, you were sure, but it was an opinion you kept to yourself. James and Sirius seemed in awe of the man and you knew Remus owed him a great deal as well. 

Speaking of the young wizard he was meant to relieve you of your post an hour ago, according to your watch. It was bad enough that you had been given this obvious demotion of a post but now you weren’t even trusted to stay there for longer than half the evening. They wanted Remus there, according to Dumbledore, should anyone be returning on foot from the meeting. Why anyone would was beyond your comprehension. It would be stupid to walk on foot back from such an important meeting, especially through Diagon Alley and then muggle London. But who were you to question their plans, or at least you were sure that was what they would say if you argued. 

But Remus was late. 

Not terribly so, just by five minutes or less. But knowing Remus as well as you had come to you knew he didn’t stand for any sort of lateness. You’d seen him up and ready for a meeting the evening after a full moon simply because he felt it was necessary that he be there. So to have him be late for something as easy to keep as a post was surprising and also, honestly, a bit alarming. 

A car sped passed and you watched, distracted, as its tail lights faded down the road. With your head turned away from the direction of Grimmauld Place you missed the young man appear on the other side of the road, just outside of the missing house, and run across toward you. It wasn’t until your name was called that you looked up. 

Remus was running toward you, looking disheveled and, as he got closer, you realized he had blood on his clothing. “There you are, we need to go.” He exclaimed, hand clasping around your wrist to pull you back the way that he had come. 

“Wait, what about the post?” You asked, looking toward the missing home once more.

“Never mind it.”

“What’s going on?” You continued the barrage of questions. “what happened to you Remus?”

“I’m alright but there’s been an incident. I can explain more when we get there.” He replied, sparing you a glance as he threw his arm out into the road to summon the bus. 

“Get where?” 

The bus appeared just in time to slam on its breaks as the young man came to the entrance, looking bored as ever, a stark contrast to the young wizard beside you who was practically moving in place with anxiousness. 

“Hello there-”

“Yes, yes, we know. We need you to take us just beyond London. There’s an old warehouse by the bank of the Thames, this is the address. Memorize it, the paper is magicked to burn once it’s been read.” Remus explained, producing a piece of paper and slipping it to the young man. As he read the listed address Remus pulled you passed him into the night bus.

“Remus you have to tell me what’s going on.” You tried once again to get any sort of information out of him, “please.”

“Not here. I can’t be sure who’s listening.” He replied, glancing around at the other passengers though to you they all seemed to be sleeping. 

It wasn’t until you were off the bus, into the warehouse, through the portkey, and passed a giant field that housed an old manor used for Order meetings that Remus slowed. He came to a halt on the steps of the home, finally letting himself take a deep breath. The blood on his shirt was well dried at this point in your travels and as he looked down at it he looked almost like he might burst into tears. You chanced a hand on his upper arm but before you could say anything or offer any sort of comfort to your friend the door to the manor threw open and Lily came out, eyes wide upon seeing you. 

“Thank god he found you, come inside quickly.” She ushered. 

Remus stood upright, himself again or at least the most frantic version of that. “How is he?”

“Holding steady. Asleep right now but that’s to be expected, it’s on him to wake up the healer said.” Lily confirmed.

“Who? Would someone please tell me what in the hell is going on? I was dragged off my post and halfway across London to some bloody warehouse to-”

“Sirius was attacked.”

You felt your whole body pale, as if you were going numb from your extremities inward. Your heart began to hammer in your chest as your brain rolled over the information in your head. Sirius had been attacked which could only mean the blood that had dried onto Remus’ shirt was your boyfriend’s. Lily grabbed your hand as you reached for something to hold yourself up. 

“He what?” It was all you could say and you felt dumb for saying it.

“It was an ambush in Knockturn tonight. James and Sirius suspected as much but they didn’t want to leave the post empty and spook anyone. There was a fight, magic almost entirely but Bellatrix managed a rather vicious assault on Sirius. He was rushed here where the healer could look at him.” Remus replied.

“I want to see him.”

“Not yet,” Lily’s voice was soothing but you couldn’t be distracted from what was happening right now. “Come in the kitchen, let me fix you a cup of tea.”

“I don’t want a cup of tea I want to see Sirius.”

“You can’t yet. The healer was very clear, no one in or out until he’s stable and awake.” She replied, “please, come in the kitchen.”

You were shaking your head, you knew that you were. Remus reached over, slowly as if you’d snap if anyone moved too quickly. And honestly, maybe you would. He grasped your hand from Lily and squeezed gently, managing to have you move your gaze from the fixed spot on the wall to his face. He looked sympathetic even in his smile. “We’ll sit outside his room. The first sign he’s awake you can go in.” 

Lily nodded and then disappeared, no doubt to the kitchen to bring you the cup of tea you had twice refused. Remus led you down the hall to the staircase and up to the second floor. James was pacing the hall, clenching and unclenching his fists. When he caught sight of you with Remus he hurried over, throwing his arms around you. It was in his nature to be the least gentle of them but he certainly wasn’t concerned with calming tones and gentle touches. He needed as much comfort as you, if not more. 

“I’m so sorry.” His voice was laced with tears as he bowed his head and pressed his forehead to your shoulder. You ran your fingers through his hair reassuringly, your autopilot taking over for your brain as you moved effortlessly into the mode of comforter. 

“It’s not your fault James.” You promised, “I know you love him, you’d never compromise his safety.”

“He knew it was dangerous, that’s why he didn’t want you there alone like usually. I should have prepared better. I should’ve-” 

You shushed him, rubbing circles into his back as he cried on your shoulder. Remus placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. Like you, or better than you were capable of, Remus was trying to keep it together for the sake of his friends. And you realized that the sympathy in Lily’s eyes might’ve also been guilt. Because James looked no worse for the wear, aside from the disheveled and bloody clothes that you suspected were stained from Sirius. 

“It’s okay,” You promised though you couldn’t be sure. It felt odd to be reassuring James after you’d just had your own version of a panic attack downstairs. 

“I’m so sorry.” He repeated, hands clenching at your robes as if he was trying to hold onto something. The door to Sirius’ room opened, the healer coming out into the hallway. You and James broke apart and he stepped up to the older woman, rubbing his hands anxiously on his pants. “How is he?”

“Still nonresponsive.”

“Can I go in?” You asked, “please?”

“He needs his rest.” The older woman replied. 

Before you could answer Remus grabbed your arm and stepped forward, “of course, thank you.” He cut in. James turned to look at his friend with confusion as the healer announced that she would be back up to check on Sirius within the hour. When she was safely downstairs James spoke up.

“I’m staying out here pacing the hall Remus. I need to know he’s alright.”

“I agree.” You piped up. 

“As do I, but it does us no good if she thinks we’ll rush in the moment she leaves. We should go one at a time, in case she comes back.” Remus replied, letting go of your arm. “You go first, you need to be with him. James and I can wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Go,” James nodded.

You pushed the door open and walked into Sirius’ room. He was laying propped up in bed, eyes closed as if he was only sleeping but you knew better. The blanket was pulled up and tucked under his arms, hiding any wounds from the fight from your eyes. You were almost thankful for it, you weren’t sure you could face seeing his injuries. You took a seat at the side of the bed, taking Sirius’ hand in yours and running your fingers over his. You reached over and brushed his hair back from his face. 

“Please wake up.” You whispered, “don’t die, you can’t die. That should’ve been me tonight, I should’ve been in the alley not you and James. Oh god, James is so upset. I told him it would be okay, so if nothing else don’t make a liar out of me.” 

There was a tap on the door, letting you know that your time in Sirius’ room was up. You stood up and leaned over him, kissing his forehead. “Please wake up love.”

James and Remus both took their turns looking in on Sirius though in the short amount of time that the three of you were in his condition remained the same. The healer eventually came back upstairs, Lily behind her and both went into his room, leaving you out in the hallway. James had resumed his earlier pacing while Remus had taken a seat on the floor, one leg bent at the knee while the other was stretched out. James would step over him every time he passed. You stood at the end of the hall, staring out the window into the night. There wasn’t much to see beyond the house but it eased your nerves a bit to feel the cool air seeping through the crack in the window. 

Lily was back and forth a few times but the healer remained inside Sirius’ room through most of the night and into the early morning. When she finally resurfaced from his room she looked more hopeful than solemn. You came away from the window and James stopped pacing and helped Remus up off the floor. Lily came out after the healer, holding the doorknob even after she shut the door. 

“He’s awake.” Her hand went up immediately when the three of you advanced toward the door. “One at a time.”

Glances passed between the three of you before James reached over and nudged you forward. “Go.”

“Are you sure?” You asked, looking at Remus first and then James. 

“Of course, go. He’ll not want to see our ugly mugs first thing.” Remus teased, trying to lighten the mood. 

You felt apprehension as you walked into the room. Even more nervous now than you had been before when he was unconscious. You didn’t want to look weak in front of him, you wanted to be dependable and strong but you felt like sobbing just when the healer said he was awake. To actually see him. The door closed behind you and you stood there, staring at Sirius. He was sitting up a bit more than he had been when you’d come in last and he offered the smallest of smiles when he saw you. Much more subdued that usual. 

“I thought I lost you.” You spoke up, coming over to the side of the bed and taking a seat. You could feel the tears in your eyes as you looked him over, the bandages now visible.

“Shh,” Sirius hushed you, gripping your hand in his and bringing it up to his mouth so he could kiss your knuckles. A habit he’d formed during Order meetings when he wanted to show you affection. “I’m alright love.”

“You almost weren’t. God, James was worried sick and so was Remus…and I didn’t know what to think when Remus showed up at my post! When he said there’d been an accident I never imagined…” you trailed off as your words got broken by sobs. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.”

“Well I’ll be honest I’m not opposed to you crying over me.” Sirius teased.

“Honestly!” You huffed, smacking his arm gently.

“Hey, I’ve been injured, you shouldn’t be hitting me you should be coddling me.” 

“I should be yelling at you for going down there when you knew it was ambush.”

“James told you?”

“Talk to me next time Sirius…or better yet, don’t let there be a next time.” 

Sirius nodded, kissing your palm and wrist. “You know I can’t promise you that.”

“I know…” you shuffled around, laying down beside him on the bed and kissing his shoulder. “it’s nice to hope for though.”


End file.
